Telephone equipment.



anion g To au lwhom t mm/ conccrnz; y

Be 1t knownE that I, CHARLES A.. -FINLEY,

Brooklyn',inthecounty of Kings and-State .of New York, have invented certainnew-and lusetul Improvementsqin Telephone Equip'- -v ments, of which the following: is afull, clear, concise, and'eXact description. I l

rlhis invention relates to telephone equipf ments, and `more particularly to `improvements 1n telephone equipments for, use-1n --helmets as employed in ymine-rescue service,

iremens work and'in lconnection with diving operations.

The principal obJect-"of this; invention '1s to provide simple and efficient arrange- *ment whereby a telephone vtransmitter unit,

removably placedwithina helmet, is operated by vreiectedso'und waves, and-'while normallyin position'for instantl use, is least ail'ected by moistureV andwis-not' acted'upon by theirespiration of a wearer 'or by extraneous sounds whichhavebeen Aiound to setup disagreeable side tonesfin the' equipmentsof like `ventwchamber regularly .present in the f: i wall of the `helmet for' reducing 4the pressure this character heretofore employed.

In accordance with thisinvention, a helmet is provided with a ytransmitter -unit 2 placed iin -anfinverted' positionV vin v alinement withthe position normallyoccupied by the mouth 'of the wearerzoffathe helmet. The

)transmitter unit is' provided with pronglike feet adapted sito bespr'ung'into a cupof air therein. `The vent 'chamber supports jthe transmitterunitl and also servesto; re- *flect soundwaves to actl onr the vdiaphragm i thereof. f

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. i This-invention is illustrated 'in the accompanying drawing, in "which Figurel `is a Perspective rontrview oa face vma'sklhelvmet' suitable for illustrating' the `features of this invention.

- UFig'. 2 a side lsectional view-'the'.face mask, s howninFig. 1,'seated on' the head of wearer asin .actualfuse l.

l:button assembled in-"ai:suit`able supporting v Fig is 'a .rear view of the transmitter Figriisafcombined sectional maper'specf resilientfwasher against the shoulderv of :the cupf Suitable pron -jlike feetl 38, formed ous partsfcomprisingnthe lof n.the k vtransmitter unit. f a citizenr'of`the'-Unite'd Statesgn'residing-*at with the drawings, the face. mask 3,1probesecued to the head1 of a wearer by means vofthe-'straps 6, after whichv aninner ypneu- "zmatica cushion 7 of comparatively circular fform is inflated bymeans oit-V a bulb' pump. 8 tof-:press 0snugly against .the .face of `the wearer-.and thereby forman air-tight'zcham- Vfiber' in which the Vrespiratoryv lorgans yopen. I Suitable ducts 9 extend to a point from which airis-thereby supplied to the-helmet.

evi'dedawith `vv'f'indows and r5, is adapted tov A circular .vent chamber-15 is providedA with an outer sealing cap lwhich carries ascrew threaded stud 17. The cap. may be rotatively `.worked in a threaded spider 18 to ,permit the .eXhaustfof: excess air pressure or toenable the user to "obtain air directly from thesurrounding'atmosphere, if, desired, or may be screwed downto clamp `the `gasket material V,19 between th'e'rim of-the chamberl and the: outer cap` ltothereby seal the air comn A:partment of? the.,- helmet. -buttonisjof circular fform andcomprises a The transmitter cup'20,:theoutside wall of which' is reduced f-infdiameter near its. Arim to 'formi a shoulder "ratithebottom portion'of thewalhandza' male screw-thread isfiormed. on `the 'reducedportion of thewall extending downwardlyffrom fthestopfof 'the'..c'up,as shown vin Eig. lA

circular Velectrode .buttonZV 25 is. suitably .at-

ftached to the-inside bottomv of the' cup and 'the-inner wallofthecup is covered with-an -insulatinglining26- 1A, washer'` of suitable resilient material; -is placed over the ,re-

duced portion Tof the cup which isthen inxfse'r'ted through a circular opening;37 in a I 1 holder; "36.` ,Comminuted material v27` is placed within the. cup and 'a "diaphragm, 29, .1 preferably ofv insulatingr material, carrying Ta circular electrodebutton 28, is' placed over `the m'outhf of .the cupwith the button enter-.

ing= therein'and engaging the comminuted material 27. vA. suitably-angedand threadedv ring nutBOLmay then be screwed on tothe .cup120 to thereby clamp the periphery ofthe diaphragm 29 .to the top of the cup wall, and, at the same time, bind the holderf` and the standfin the; circular vent chamber. l5 and.

connection through the metal cup 20 to the rear electrode 25.

From the terminals and 50 of the vtransmitter, flexible conductors v51 and 52 extend to terminals posts 55 and 56 attached to extend through but suitably insulated from a metal connector 10 of the air duct 9. From these terminals, conductors may be routed exterior to an extended air duct (not shown) which may be coupled to the tube 9, or if desired, the conductors may be routed through the inside of such air tube extension.

In operation, sound Waves set up by the voice of a person wearing the helmet iirst strike the bottom or solid back of the transmitter cup 2O and therefore do not at that affect the transmitter. Continuing, however, these sound waves enter the vent chamber 15 and are reflected back by the sealing disk 16 and the spider 18 to arrive at and act upon the transmitter diaphragm 29. The relatively limited area of this diaphragm and its characteristics as to ilexibility, combined with the indirect appli-- cation of sound waves thereto, result in clear and efficient telephonie transmission.

Moisture, resulting from the respiration of a wearer of the helmet, collects at the rear of the transmitter and does not, to an appreciable extent, reach the diaphragm or working parts thereof. And further, inV

view of the proximity of the vent chamber to the working parts of the transmitter, condensations due to the air exhaled by a wearer are more readily carried away each time the vent is opened. rIhe present method vof providing` that the respirations of a wearer take place adjacent the solidly fixed rear of the transmitter unit, results in preventing such breathing disturbances, yas set up in the confined air of the helmet, having an appreciable effect on the diaphragm 29. Therefore, breathing operations do not cause disagreeable side tones in a distant receiver (not shown) to which this transmitter may be connected. On removing the helmet, the transmitter unit may be readily lifted from its position in the helmet Without expert knowledge or the use of tools, and, in this way, is conveniently accessible for cleaning as to any moisture which may adhere thereto.

The vent f chamber 15v is also rendered accessible at the same time for similar cleaning operations, after which the transmitter may be instantly reseated in its working position, all without the use of tools.`

. A distinct advantage of the present in vention is the compact and relatively midget proportions of this transmitter unit making it light, non-cumbersome and: mechanically rugged for. this hazardous and exacting service.

From the foregoing description of this equipment, it will be readily apparent that the characteristic size and position ofthe working parts Aof this transmitter with respect to the action of air waves thereon, while practically unresponsive to ordinary aural dusturbances, arel nevertheless sensitive to and respond efficiently when waves corresponding with those of articulate speech are applied thereto in an indirect manner as described.

Although this invention has for convenience been illustrated and described in connection with a specific type of face helmet, it will be understood that its scope is not limited thereto, and that the features of this invention may be applied to the various types of helmets or diving suits in connection with which telephone service of this character may be desirable. 1t will also be understood that a suitable source of current, as batteries for the transmitter, may be carried by a wearer of the helmet or that such current may be supplied from a distant telephone station at which the exterior conductors may terminate.

'lhat is claimed is:

1. In a helmet having a recessy therein, a transmitterrunit, and supporting means for said unit having resilient feet adapted to engage the walls of said recess to removably secure said unit within said helmet.

2. In a telephone equipment, ,a helmet, a transmitter having movable parts arranged at one side thereof, means to'mount said.` transmitter within said helmet, the movable parts thereof positioned toward and spaced from the internal surface of said helmet whereby said surfacereflects sound waves against such movable parts.

3. In a telephone equipment, a helmet, a transmitter unit having movable parts arranged at one side thereof, and means engaging said helmet to support said unit adjacent 12o the mouth of a wearer of the helmet and with the movable parts of said unit on the opposite side thereof from the mouth of the wearer; said supporting means and unit coperating to prevent sound waves due to Jdie respiration of the wearer affecting 'the movable parts of said unit.

4. ln a helmet, a telephone transmitter unit having movable parts arranged at one side thereof, andy means engaging said helmet to support said unit with said movable the walls there-of, and a transmitter unit removably secured to said helmet by said supporting means.

6. In a helmet having a recess therein, a transmitter unit having movable parts arranged at one side thereof, land supporting means having feet directed toward said re cess and supporting the movable parts or said unit toward said recess whereby space is provided between the legs of said supporting means to `admit sound waves to said recess, said recess serving to reiect such waves against the movable parts of said unit to actuate the latter.

7. In a helmet, a vent chamber therefor, a telephone transmitter unit having movable parts arranged at one side thereof, and supporting means in said helmet to position the movable parts of said unit toward said vent i chamber said supporting means coperating withV said vent chamber to decreasethe volume of sound waves with respect to the movable parts of said unit.

8. In a helmet, a vent chamber therefor, a telephone transmitter unit having movable parts arranged' at one side thereof, and supporting means to engage said vent chamber to position the movable parts of said unit toward said chamber; said supporting means coperating with said vent chamber to decrease the volume of sound waves with respect to the movable parts of said unit.

9. In ,a helmet, a ventl chamber therefor, a telephone transmitter unit having movable parts arranged at one side thereof, and supporting means in said helmet to position said unit between the mouth of the user and said' vent chamber with the movable parts of said unit toward said vent chamber; said supporting means cooperating with said unit and vent chamber to decrease the Volume of sound waves with respect to the movable parts of said unit.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 18th day of May, A. D. 1916.

CHARLES A. FINLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

